Bordesley Green Girls' School & Sixth Form

Inspection Report Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School

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103493 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276937 Inspection number 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 Inspection dates Peter Jones HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Bordesley Green Road School address Comprehensive Type of school Birmingham Community School category West Midlands B9 4TR 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 0121 4641881 Telephone number Girls Gender of pupils 0121 4643311 Fax number 605 Number on roll Mr Zafar Iqbal Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Clare Considine Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276937 28 June 2006 - 11 to 16 29 June 2006 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a small single sex school for girls aged 11 to 16. The school serves an area of high deprivation, and almost all pupils live within one kilometre of the school. Almost all are Muslim and of Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Pathan heritage, with a small but growing number of Somali pupils. Attainment on entry is below the national average. The school is designated as a Business and Enterprise Specialist School, with the aim of meeting local needs.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good and effective school with outstanding features. It is justifiably popular and well regarded in the community. It provides good value for money. The staff are dedicated and enable pupils to develop into well educated and responsible young women with a strong sense of achievement and aspiration. The work of the governing body helps the school to understand and serve its community with sensitivity and to engage the support of parents. Pupils take pride in their school, its very well ordered and attractive environment, and its new sports facilities and classrooms. Attainment on entry to the school is below average, and the progress made by all ability groups represents good achievement overall. However, there is some scope for the school to plan more effectively to ensure that the most able pupils achieve their full potential. Teaching is good overall, and pupils are keen and attentive learners.

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Grade: 2

They follow a broad and balanced curriculum and although provision for music and numeracy has been less secure recently, the school is addressing these issues. The school places great emphasis on ensuring the personal development and well-being of its pupils, with outstanding systems of care, support and guidance. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher, with strong support from an effective leadership team, provides a clear focus on improvement. The school accurately evaluates its own strengths and areas for development, and sees itself as a good school. However, there is variation in the way middle managers monitor progress towards meeting challenging targets that will raise achievement for some more able students. The school has responded very well to the key issues for action from the previous inspection, and its capacity to improve is very strong.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Provide greater levels of challenge for some more able pupils so that they achieve their full potential. • Improve provision for numeracy and music.

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Grade: 2

Achievment and standards are good. The school does well for its pupils. They arrive with below average levels of prior attainment and make good progress throughout the school. In 2005, test and examination results were close to national averages. There is a clear trend of improvement over the last three years in meeting challenging targets. Overall, this represents good achievement across all groups. There has been some outstanding achievement by a significant proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. In 2005 Key Stage 3 tests, where results were broadly average overall, pupils’ achievement was outstanding in English and good in mathematics, although there was a slight dip in science. Language support for pupils with English as an additional 2 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 language is excellent. Present Year 9 students are on course to do better in science,

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Grade: 2

further improve results in mathematics and consolidate English performance. In 2005 GCSE results, increasing numbers of pupils gained at least five A*-C grades. A large majority of pupils achieved grades higher than expected. Pupils achieved particularly high standards in history and religious education. Improvements in Key Stage 3 English have not shown their full impact on GCSE performance in language and literature. However, in both key stages, a small number of more able pupils do not achieve their full potential. The school is aware of this issue and has already taken positive action to extend pupils’ learning.

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Grade: 1

Personal development is outstanding and reflects the importance the school places on the well-being of its pupils. Pupils show a strong desire to learn and display enjoyment in all school activity. This is reflected in above average attendance and excellent punctuality. All pupils feel valued and are encouraged to express their views on all aspects of school life. As a consequence, they make effective contributions to school improvement. A daily act of collective worship and period of reflection for all, with pupils taking a lead role, makes a very effective contribution to spiritual development, which is outstanding. Pupils’ moral and social development is outstanding and their cultural development good. An excellent range of enrichment activities enables pupils to respond exceptionally well to opportunities for self-development, broadening their experiences and helping raise their self-esteem. The high participation rates in sport, including swimming, and the popularity of

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Grade: 1

adopting healthy eating and drinking habits show students’ recognition of the value of embracing a healthy lifestyle. Excellent provision is made for the development of enterprise skills and economic understanding through information and business technology courses, work experience, careers education and business and enterprise cross-curricular projects. Effective sex and relationships education programmes are sensitively delivered to meet the needs of pupils. Behaviour is excellent and pupils show consideration and care for each other. Pupils feel very safe and are confident in the support of staff should problems arise. They respond extremely well to all opportunities to take responsibility and show initiative. All pupils are actively encouraged to work to support the local community. They take part in the Junior Sports Leader and Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes, and organise fund-raising for charity.

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Grade: 1

3 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall, with some that is outstanding. Systematic departmental and school reviews have brought a focus to improving teaching and learning, with a positive effect on the quality of lessons. Pupils are very keen learners and their attitude in lessons is exemplary. Teachers’ expectations are high and sometimes very high, and pupils are challenged to achieve to the best of their ability. Teachers plan a variety of activities and generally use questioning and dialogue well to check that pupils understand. As a result, the pace of learning is good, and sometimes very good. Relationships are very good, and organisation and use of resources is good. Teachers use new technology to enhance the quality and interest of their lessons where appropriate. They prepare lessons thoroughly and work hard with their pupils, but do not always set work which differentiates according to different levels of ability. As a

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Grade: 2

consequence, the progress of some pupils, particularly the most able, is not always as good as it could be. Appropriate assessment systems are in place, and are exemplary in English. Pupils know their individual targets for learning, particularly in core subjects, and are given good advice on how to improve. Additional learning needs are well met and, through the efforts of the school, parental involvement in pupils’ learning is growing steadily more secure.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum at Key Stage 3 meets statutory requirements and is broad and balanced. The school is addressing recent problems in provision for music and numeracy. In Key Stage 4, pupils have access to a wide choice of options. Specialist school status is serving pupils well through widening access to business and enterprise experience, and a range of vocational alternative courses. Work experience is securely established in Year 10 and contributes effectively to pupils’ future well-being. Extra-curricular opportunities are wide and varied and include some unusual and interesting courses such as dentistry and law. Curriculum opportunities are further enhanced through off-site trips, and although there is a range of visits aimed at giving pupils a broader view of cultural experience, not all pupils take advantage of these opportunities. Literacy across the curriculum is well developed, and pupils for whom English is an

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Grade: 2

additional language and those who have learning difficulties or disabilities are making good progress. Numeracy across the curriculum has been identified correctly by the school as an area in need of further development. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) across the curriculum is well developed. 4 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 1

Care guidance and support of pupils is outstanding. The school has very high ambitions for pupils and clearly identifies all the areas where support can be helpful. Initiatives for care, support and guidance are undertaken with rigour and commitment and are well evaluated to ensure that they are effective. Liaison with partner primary schools and induction of pupils are very good. Through close work with agencies such as Connexions, a rich programme of guidance lessons and many opportunities for visits, girls are given excellent advice for decisions about the choice of courses in Year 10 and when they leave school. Very good use is made of responsible pupils to support peers through a well-developed system of prefects, ICT and library helpers, and pupil mediators. Good deployment and training of teaching assistants makes a valuable contribution to pupil support across the school. The school understands the community it serves, and there is

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Grade: 1

excellent communication with parents through weekly newsletters and frequent meetings that are conducted in community languages. The school is innovative and resourceful in helping to raise pupils’ and parents’ aspirations for study beyond Key Stage 4. Mothers’ involvement in their children’s education is very well promoted by a women’s group programme held daily in school. These sessions include, for example, trips to sites visited by their children to foster a greater understanding of their educational needs. The school works extensively with other schools and colleges in a local collegiate arrangement to provide broader experience and opportunities for pupils. Good links with external agencies, including health and social services and the police, help promote healthy living, safety and welfare. Pupils at risk and with special needs are identified very early on and supported by a team of committed staff. The school has in place checks on staff appointed to the

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Grade: 1

school and good child protection arrangements. Learning activities are assessed for any risk to pupils.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and a clear sense of direction for the school and is well supported by an effective leadership team. The school development plan is clear and correctly focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning and in providing a curriculum which meets the needs and aspirations of all its learners. The leadership team pays good attention to reviewing the appropriateness of the curriculum on offer to pupils. There is scope for better targeted planning and teaching to challenge and stretch more able pupils. Systems in place for monitoring and evaluating progress are effective and well documented. The school’s self-evaluation accurately identifies strengths and areas for development. There is a clear sense of collective purpose amongst the staff, and leaders at all levels feel suitably challenged. 5 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Performance management is well linked to whole-school improvement and an appropriate programme of continuing professional development is in place. There is good access to a range of data, including the views of parents and pupils; these are used well to influence whole-school policies. Pupils contribute well to leadership and management through the school council and through a well-organised system of giving support to their peers. They are a considerable force in the day-to-day smooth running of the school. School leaders are particularly effective in promoting equal opportunities and the personal development and well-being of all pupils. The governing body is a strength of the school. Fully involved, committed and supportive, it plays a key role in holding the school accountable for all its actions and challenging the leadership team appropriately. Financial management is efficient. This school serves its community

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Grade: 2

well. 6 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Bordesley Green Girls' Specialist Business and Enterprise School, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your warm welcome during our visit on 28 and 29 June 2006 and for your help in finding our way around the school, giving us your views and answering our questions. We really enjoyed visiting your school. Here are some of the things we found out about your school: Your teachers are dedicated to helping you develop into well-educated and responsible young women, and you are ambitious to do well in school and beyond. We think the school gives you excellent care, support and guidance. You told us that your teachers know you well, and are good at helping you with any problems you have in school. We were impressed by your positive attitudes and good behaviour, and by your willingness to work hard in class and on homework. You help each other very well in school, and the school has listened to you and acted on your suggestions for improvements. Many of you take part in lunchtime and after-school activities. You like sport, including

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

swimming, and you are very keen to adopt healthy lifestyles and healthy eating habits. Your school is well managed and you have good teachers. You take a good range of subjects, which helps you prepare well for further study or work. We have asked the school to make sure that all of you who are more able fulfil your full potential by providing greater challenge in lessons. We have also asked the school to make sure that you cover numeracy in all your subjects, and that the teaching of music becomes more secure. Once again, many thanks for your welcome. You all seem to enjoy school very much, and we enjoyed being in the school with you! Yours sincerely, Peter Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector

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